The Expedition To The Cave “Mlynky” by Photojournalist Oleg Grigoriev (39 photos)

Transcarpathian photojournalist Oleg Grigoriev, who went on an expedition of Ternopil tourist club in one of the largest horizontal caves in Ukraine – “Mlynky” that is in the Ternopil region.
Detected and opened in 1960, the cave has since attracted thousands of tourists and fans of mysterious mysteries of nature. The total length of cave passages is almost 45 miles. And the temperature in walls and corridors of stone is always the same, about 10.9 degrees. their feelings and picturesque photos Oleg Grigoryev is divided into pages of his blog at http://grigoryev.net/mlynki.html. The photographer admits: “The expedition was one of the most exciting, extreme in my life, though frightening at the same time, impressions after a trip to the cave was more than normal. In the photo I just gave everything that I feel. Probably because when viewing the work you feel as if not descended deep into the earth and up in height to the distant stars and galaxies.”

By Oleg Grigoriev’s Own Words : When you start to do some things you love, do not expect him to significant results. As a labor of love the most important is process. That’s my hobby has led me to the cave “Mlynki.” Venture on the expedition in the western cave “Mlynky” helped speleopohodov similar photos. During this expedition was planned to conduct intelligence work and photography.

Up to the base, where we had to spend the night, we had to crawl for nearly three hours. It was vymatyvayusche-hard on the teeth creaked dust, thirsty, in the way we came across the deep pit, huge halls and galleries, bats and mud colored crystals and helictites, as well as a huge number of narrow cracks, which are so like us to swallow (me for sure).

It is difficult to describe our emotions, we took photos with all the indescribable beauty of the halls and galleries. Gypsum crystals, which are iridescent in the light of lanterns and candles, though small universes – it must be the place at least once to see for yourself.
Cave “Mlynky” – horizontal gypsum cave labyrinth type. It is located in Ternopil region and is one of the most beautiful caves in gypsum in the Ukraine. The total length of the passages of almost 45 km. The temperature in the cave in summer and winter is always a constant of about 9-10 degrees.
At the entrance of the cave we met the sculpture caver Wasi (the so-kindly call it). We touch him and get photographed with him for good luck.
Here is the map of the cave “Mlynky” (found on the Internet).
This was my first, a funny experience with freezing light (freezelight). By the way, the cave was used photography and long exposures of 5 to 8 different colors of light sources, as well as candles for this.
The first hour we crawled briskly and cheerfully, and then the dirt and dust covered with a thick layer to all on my enthusiasm.
By the way, the bat here live much longer than ordinary field mouse, it can reach the age of 25-30 years.
Having reached the goal, the girls decided to rest.
When I crawled over that precipice, I have a wildly shaking knees, hid a soul in heels and did not want to go back there.
An amazing sight – in the light of lanterns and candles, the walls of the cave sparkled and played by millions of small patches of light that emanated from the gypsum crystals.
The most important thing that I has learned – do not go into the cave with a sense of fear.
Did you know that the cave bats do not suck blood – they drink it greedily.
The cave is not only narrow, impassable passages, but also large halls with galleries, which can move at full height.
To avoid compromising the microclimate, the head asked not to touch the crystals, or a fungus is put on them and they destroyed.
Stuck between two walls, I’m more afraid for my camera and lenses.
Feeling as if we meet the dawn on Mars.
Natural formations on the walls of the cave look is unique and fascinating.
Our team dinner, leisurely obgovarivaya plans for the next day.
And this was our kitchen with a gas burner and lots of shelves at different things.
Each expedition is trying to happy our cave-god, who protects us.
A tank with potable water. It is very difficult to haul your own water through narrow cave passages, so you have to extract water directly from the “ceiling”.
A very brave girl, she fumbled for the star.
Gypsum crystals.
Somewhere in the back was a maze with the interesting name “Adam’s rib.”
The Incredible Universe under the ground.
Early in the morning, but in a cave there is always only one time – a starry night.
The second experiment. Gathered those extra flashlights and handed out at the expense of the “three”, all together began to mimic the Brownian motion of particles. What came out of this experiment – you can see in the picture.
Have you ever invited a girl on a date in a cave?
Speleoturist.
The inclusion in the crystals of iron and manganese (and a few rays of light) make different colored crystals.
When moving to a cave, you must be very careful and think through your posleduschego step, one wrong move and you can slip and fly down.
In the cave of absolute silence, only occasionally disturbs water droplets, which are detached from the vault and land on an earthen floor.
Bats in hibernation.
Sometimes we had to move back and resting our feet on the wall, almost becoming the splits and cracks beneath us
Coming out of the cave, tired and exhausted, barely dragging our feet, my head spun a thought – I’ll be back here sure.